On Orphans and Rare Mounts

It’s been a while since I’ve put anything up here.  I have some ideas I want to write about, but I’d thought I would start with an update of my in-game activities.  I had tweeted that I probably wouldn’t finish the Children’s Week holiday.  I was stuck on The School of Hard Knocks achievement, but, thanks to Cynwise’s blog, which you can see here, I was able to finish that requirement on the last day.

I also wanted to get the pets for pet battling purposes.  While taking my Outlands orphan around, on a whim, I decided to run through Sethekk Halls.  I had only been through there four or five times total.  I did not expect this to happen.

All I had to do at that point was the five dailies with my orphan.  I am now only two holidays away from What a Long Strange Trip.

Shortly after finishing the holiday, I realized I was  only  a couple of days away from finishing my Angler’s rep.  Not only did I get that. but I also got Pandaren Ambassador! I am now exalted with all the 5.0 / 5.1 factions and can focus exclusively on 5.2!

Woohoo!

Slooow Down

Dailies. Dailies Dailies.

The WOW community seems to have a love / hate relationship with them these days. Maybe more on the hate side. My view though is a bit different. I’ve noticed players tend to get the mentality that they need to do everything they can all the time to increase their player power. This usually equates to getting more / better gear.

Let me clarify though that I am not a Raider, with peer pressure to get my gear level as high as I can. However, I like to top the meters like everyone else. So, for me gear is still a priority. That being said though, I think my viewpoint on dailies can be relevant to most any player except perhaps the hardest of the hardcore.

1. Pick two factions at a time to focus on. Because I am a Blacksmith I decided to focus on the Klaxxi first and the Tillers. For me, Tillers are a means to a steady income as well as helping to provide the mats I’d need later, such as Motes of Harmony. The other factions can wait. Only focus on one, or at most two factions at a time. If your goal is only gear, then when you get a faction to Revered, simply start on another. I want the mounts so I’ll be doing my factions to Exalted.
2. You don’t need to do them every single day. If I can get on for an hour three days a week then I am happy. Another thing, which I still find a lot of my guildies forgetting, is that when the Darkmoon Faire is in town you can ride the carousel for a 10% XP and Rep buff that lasts for an hour. Maximising your time is key.
3. Take a break! I have found that taking time out to do other non- progession related activites can be fun and a stress relieving. I have been taking time to level my Archeology up lately. It won’t help my gear grind at all, but I might luck into a mount or a couple pets and of course there are the achievemewnt points to be had.

So as the Pandas say: Slooow Dooown.

Reputation Quick Tip #1: Hozen Peace Pipe

I am still amazed at how many people I come across both in guild and out that have no idea this item exists.  For those who hate the rep grind, or at least want to finish the 5.0 reps quickly in order to focus on current content, this item is an easy boost to your 5.0 reps.  It drops from Scritch, a rare in Kun-Lai Summit, but you can also find it on the AH. It often goes for upwards of 10K on my server, but I don’t buy them unless they’re less than 7K.  Here is the tool tip taken off Wowhead:

What is awesome about this little item is that it grants rep for all the 5.0 factions! It grants 1,000 rep per faction. Even better is that it stacks with the Grand Commendations at revered and also racial and holiday buffs, like the Darkmoon Faire carousel.  With the grand commendation applied to your factions that means 2,000 rep instead of 1,000.  More if you utilize the 10% faire  buff.

Note: It DOES NOT work with the Black Prince or 5.1 / 5.2 factions.  Those you have to do the hard way.

If your interested in farming Scritch I suggest you check out Euphyely’s blog, Wowrarespawns.blogspot.com . I could post a map and coordinates, but she ‘s done it so well.

Happy rep grinding!

Kanig

Mini-Post Reminder: Darkmoon Faire Next Week!

With all the hullabaloo surrounding Patch 5.0.4, I wanted to remind everyone that tomorrow is the start of the Darkmoon Faire!  Like a local waiting for the carnival to come to town, I stopped by today to see if the Faire was open and as you can see the Carnies are hard at work setting up the portal to Darkmoon Island.

 

Carnies at Goldshire

 

This will be the last chance you get to add an easy five points to any professions you haven’t leveled up to 525.  In addition, and assuming you’ve been collecting tickets, this will be your last opportunity before you roll a  monk to pick up some heirloom gear from the faire.

So take some time out from practicing your new skills and hit the Faire!

On the way over from Stormwind I happened to see this floating off in the distance and I just had to stop and check it out.

 

Retrofitted Gunship

 

Pretty Cool! Since I’m exalted with Stormwind I graciously agreed to sign autographs, but discovered that Sky Admiral Rogers is a bit of the grumpy type.  She’s clearly got anger management issues.

 

What? You don’t want my autograph?

 

 

Crunch Time!

So here is my Pre-Announcement Bucket List:

• Complete Cataclysm quest zone achievements (finish Uldum / Vashj’ir / Twilight Highlands)
• Level up fishing & cooking on my DK
• Do all missing Cata dungeons for the achievements (more or less at level)
• Finish Molten Front dailies
• Run Heroics or LFR for valor and to save up JPs for heirloom gear for a Panda
• Level up Archeology (currently only at 235 skill level) (Am I crazy or what??)
• Do Dark Moon Faire for pets / mounts / heirloom gear
• Run old content for mount drops
• level up a Druid (future enchanter or Jewel crafter maybe)
• finish upgrading my gear level on Kanig (sitting at 378 average with a 333 trinket and 359 shoulders)

Now that we are going to see Mists in less than two months, I’ve realized that I need to take a fresh look at my to do list.  With the amount of time I average per week I’m not likely to get anywhere through it.

So after getting out the scalpel here’s what’s left:

• Complete Cataclysm quest zone achievements (finish Uldum / Vashj’ir / Twilight Highlands)
• Level up fishing & cooking on my DK
• Do Dark Moon Faire for pets / mounts / heirloom gear

I’ve been an avid follower of The Godmother’s blog over at alternative-blog.net.  Great posts there on getting yourself ready for Mists. Also some good advice concerning the patch that inevitably precedes a major expansion.  From that I’ve added to my list of must get done things:

• Revisit Theramore (top priority before it’s changed)
• Revisit Sholomance and the Scarlet Monastery Done!

I also decided at this point it’s pointless to try to round out my gear level any more than I already have.  LFR is annoying and for me the RNG gods are not kind. In my last two LFRs nothing dropped of use to me that I didn’t already have. When I que for random heroics I inevitably get Hour of Twilight dungeons instead of the older ones.  If I want those for the achievements, I’ll have to que directly for them and give up on the VPs

In addition to revisiting Theramore, I am going to try to finish as much of the Cataclysm quest content as I can and also focus on getting my cooking and fishing up to max level. If I get through those, then I’ll consider revisiting the old list again.

What’s on your Bucket List?